A coach with experience, Doug Martin carries interim tag into new job

LAS CRUCES - While there are daunting challenges ahead for the New Mexico State football program, the Aggies are also starting back at square one with the departure of DeWayne Walker: Hiring a head coach for a program in the midst of major transition.

The Aggies brought in Doug Martin as offensive coordinator last week and have since named him interim coach with Walker's departure. New Mexico State Athletics Director McKinley Boston said the Aggies have yet to determine if a coaching search will follow after National Signing Day on Feb. 6, although such an occurrence remains a good possibility.

"We've not decided that yet," Boston said.

"This provides a unique opportunity for me to get to know Doug and to get to know his family from a whole different perspective," Boston added. "I look forward to working closely with Doug for the next weeks, months ... We'll look at him as a candidate and of course talk with the president and other appropriate people about future possibilities."

Martin said he would like a shot at the Aggie head coaching position.

"This is not my first rodeo," he said. "I've done the head coaching thing for seven years at Kent State, a similar program. At the time I took Kent State over, the program was almost getting ready to be eliminated. It was a very tough job. I would relish the opportunity to be the head coach here."

Sam Wasson, editor of the Bleedcrimson.net, a website dedicated to Aggie athletics, pointed to Martin's head coaching tenure at Kent State from 2004-10 as a primary reason he should immediately be considered for the fulltime role at NMSU.

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The Golden Flashes had a 29-53 record during Martin's tenure at the school.

Wasson added that Martin's previous experience at New Mexico State, when he was offensive coordinator at the school in 2011, should provide him with a sense of preparation upon entering the Aggie head coaching position.

"Seeing the challenges and having had produced the results he did offensively in such a short period, it's a good choice," Wasson said.

Brian Cox, who played wide receiver at New Mexico State in the early 1990s, echoed that sentiment.

"When Martin was here I thought he did a good job. He knows New Mexico State, he knows how the challenges of what needs to be done here," Cox said. "That's plain and simple. He knows what he's getting into and the challenges he's going to take on."

Martin said the Aggies can't hire an assistant coaching staff until the program hires a full-time head coach - at the moment, there are vacancies at special teams coach, offensive line coach and defensive secondary coach.

Don Kloppenburg, a college football coach for close to 30 years, called the interim tag a "bad omen."

Kloppenburg added the recent coaching changes could have a profound affect on the incoming recruiting class.

"This class will affect the program," he said. "It'll show up in two years. The only hope is to get three or four high-quality (junior college) players that can help us right now."

Boston said 24 commitments on 25 scholarship openings had been secured and that, as the interim head coach, it was Martin's job to evaluate players the Aggies had coming in.

"I'm not so concerned that very much is going to change in two weeks," Boston said of the recruiting class.

The Aggie athletics director also said that Martin was a strong candidate to become NMSU's full-time coach, but that proper protocall and due diligence had to take place before making such a hire.

"In any job or any business, turnover happens," Boston said. "In this case, I was notified today of the change. For me to say I'm going to reach a decision without contacting the appropriate people, including the president, the chair of the board, there's a series of things that has to take place.

"I've only talked to Doug for half of today. While I'm impressed by him, I haven't interviewed him .... I wouldn't be naming Doug interim if I didn't have strong faith on his leadership and potential."

While there are uncertain questions surrounding Aggie football - an independent schedule in 2013, uncertainty in their conference standing and the resource issues Walker addressed during his four-year tenure - solidifying a coaching staff is at the forefront.

"There's a lot of stories for down the road. This is about baby steps," Kloppenburg said. "And this is step one."

Teddy Feinberg can be reached at (575) 541-5455. Follow him on Twitter @TeddyFeinberg